Tips for modern life

A dodgy accountant my Dad knew once told him if you ever want to know what's going on somewhere, ask a taxi driver.

Today I learned the consumer knowledge that workers at recycling centres (aka 'dumps') also have.

I threw out my two-year-old Panasonic vacuum cleaner and a fluorescent-bibbed gentleman asked what was wrong with it. I explained how the motor had packed up and he said he'd seen lots of similar makes chucked away.